STACK 

*****     TNITED  STATES 

I  Calif ornij 

Regional 

Facility 

j  COUNTERFEIT  DETECTOR: 

FO  K 

INSTANTANEOUS  DETECTION 

0* 

o •COUNTERFEIT  "GREENBACKS" 
3  gp  NATIONAL   BANK   NOTES, 

2  ^   IKING  THE  GEOMETKIC  LATHE-WORK, 


KEY  TO  THE  MYSTIC  .NUMBERS 
THE  TEST  ON  ALL  GOVERNMENT  PAPER. 

M 

JOHN  F.  BEAZELL. 
1'ITTSBURGH: 

PRINTED  BY  W.  S.  HAVEN,  CORNER  WOOD  AND  THIRD  STREETS. 
1867. 


UNITED    STATES 


RULES 

FOB 

DETECTING  COUNTERFEIT  "GREENBACKS" 

AND 

NATIONAL  BANK  NOTES, 


MAKING  THE  GEOMETRIC  LATHE-WORK. 

AND 

KEY  TO  THE  MYSTIC  NUMBERS 

THE    TEST   ON  ALL    GOVERNMENT   PAPER. 

B  V 

JNO.    P.    BEAZELL. 

PITTSBURGH: 

PRINTED  BY  W.   S.   HAVEN,  CORNER  WOOD  AND  THIRD  STREETS. 
1867. 


[The  following  Key  is  perfectly  reliable,  and  will  be  fully  ex- 
plained by  the  teacher.] 


SECEET  KEY, 


Counterfeit 


Letter  A,  Remainder,  -        -    1 

B,             "  2 

"      C,  -    3 

D,  0 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1867,  by 

JOHN  F.  BEAZELL, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  in  Western  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


BANK  NOTE  ENGRAYING,  &c. 


IT  is  not  our  purpose  to  present  to  the  public  a 
book  of  such  magnitude  as  to  prevent  its  perusal 
by  men  of  business,  but  to  condense  as  much  as  pos- 
sible a  few  plain  facts  on  the  subject  of  Bank  Note 
Engraving,  and  the  mode  by  which  counterfeits  may 
be  detected.  We  have  been  led  to  this  from  the 
fact  that  no  work  has  been  published  devoted  exclu- 
sively to  the  present  paper  currency.  Those  that 
we  have  seen  treat  of  the  Old  State  Banks  whose 
notes  are  obsolete,  and  much  that  is  said  in  regard 
to  them  is  inapplicable  to  the  present  Bank  paper. 

When  Bank  Note  or  Paper  Currency  was  first  in- 
troduced as  the  circulating  medium,  no  engravings 
were  used;  the  notes  were  printed  with  only  common 
type.  Such  were  easily  imitated,  and  rogues  soon 
put  into  circulation  notes  so  well  executed,  that  they 
could  not  be  distinguished  from  the  genuine  issues. 
Engravings  were  next  added  as  barriers  to  counterfeit- 
ing, but  these  too  were  in  a  short  time  so  well  imitated 
that  even  good  judges  of  money  were  often  deceived. 
This  led  engravers  to  the  practice  of  using  private 
marks  on  the  notes  they  printed  for  the  different 
Banks ;  and  Bankers,  with  a  pen,  marked  their  issues 
in  such  a  manner  that  they  might  know  them  again. 

20031.08 


Since  the  year  1816,  numerous  and  important  im- 
provements have  been  introduced  by  Bank  Note 
Engravers,  and  at  the  present  time  the  amount  of 
artistic  skill  employed,  and  the  elaborate  and  costly 
machinery  used,  as  well  as  the  large  capital  invested, 
render  it  impossible  for  counterfeiters  to  produce 
notes  equal  in  beauty  of  execution  to  the  genuine. 

THE  USE  OF  DIES— THE  GEOMETRIC  LATHE,  &c. 

The  greatest  obstacle  to  counterfeiters  is  the  use  of 
dies  and  the  Geometric  Lathe,  as  well  as  the  invention 
of  transferring  engravings  by  means  of  a  powerful 
machine  called  the  "Transfer  Press" — but  perhaps 
the  greatest  security  to  the  paper  currency  of  nearly 
the  whole  commercial  world  is  the  work  produced  by 
the  Geometric  Lathe.  This  wonderful  machine  was 
first  used  by  Murry,  Fairman  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia, 
in  1816,  and  in  view  of  the  great  beauty  of  the  work, 
and  difficulty  of  imitation,  its  inventor,  Mr.  Asa 
Spencer,  an  "ingenious  Yankee,"  repaired  to  Eng- 
land soon  after,  where  it  was  also  adopted  by  the 
Bankers,  both  of  that  country  and  Scotland. 

The  value  of  the  Geometric  Lathe  for  Bank  Note 
Engraving  does  not  consist  simply  in  the  beauty  of 
its  work,  but  from  the  fact  that  it  cannot  be  made  to 
imitate  any  figure  previously  executed.  It  works 
out  an  original  figure  every  time  it  is  used,  so  that  if 
a  counterfeiter  even  had  a  lathe,  he  would  be  no 
better  off  than  without  it.  The  beauty  and  variety 
of  lathe-work  may  be  seen  on  all  government  paper, 
and  is  the  test-work  from  a  five  cent  note  to  a 
thousand  dollar  bond.  It  has  been  made  the  bulwark 
of  defence  to  the  present  paper  currency.  The 
medallion  ruling,  Perkin's  plate,  and  large  lettering 


formerly  used  on  the  State  Bank  Notes,  being  very 
properly  discarded,  a8  after  a  long  trial  it  was  found 
that  the  Geometric  Lathe-work  was  the  most  difficult 
for  counterfeiters  to  imitate. 

There  are  many  other  obstacles  to  counterfeiters. — 
They  consist  principally  in  the  perfection  of  genuine 
work,  and  the  power  of  producing,  by  means  of  dies, 
a  number  of  plates  of  any  given  picture  or  orna- 
mental portion  of  work  needed  on  a  Bank  Note,  each 
of  which  plates  is  an  exact  copy  of  the  original,  even 
to  the  smallest  line  or  dot.  Thus,  when  any  of  the 
Bank  Note  Engraving  Companies  produce  a  portrait, 
a  die  is  made  from  the  engraved  portrait,  and  by 
means  of  this  die,  the  plates  with  this  portrait  upon 
them,  can  be  multiplied  by  those  who  have  the  die, 
and  by  no  one  else,  not  even  the  engraver  who  execu- 
ted the  original  portrait  from  which  the  die  was  made, 
because  the  smallest  shade  or  dot  about  the  features 
materially  changes  the  expression  of  a  face  that  might 
be  perfect  in  all  other  respects. 

HOW  DIES  ARE  MADE,  &c. 

The  Engraver  selects  a  piece  of  the  best  cast-steel 
of  the  proper  size,  and  having  carefully  annealed,  or 
softened  it,  and  smoothed  its  surface,  proceeds  to  en- 
grave upon  it  the  intended  device.  When  this  is 
done  the  steel  is  hardened,  and  is  termed  a  matrix. 
A  cylinder  of  soft  steel  is  now  prepared,  and  being 
properly  polished  and  adjusted,  is  made  to  roll  over 
the  engraved  surface  of  the  matrix,  under  a  heavy 
pressure,  until  it  receives  a  perfect  impression — in 
relief — of  the  work  upon  the  matrix.  The  cylinder 
is  then  hardened,  and  is  called  a  Die,  and  being  made 
to  roll  over  the  polished  surfaces  of  soft  steel  plates, 
transfers  its  impressions  to  them. 


6 

These  plates  are  exact  fac-similes  of  the  original 
matrix,  and  are  used  in  the  process  of  printing  Bank 
Notes. 

Another  difficulty  is  found  by  counterfeiters  in 
imitating  the  shading  of  letters  and  portraits,  which 
is  done  by  the  Ruling  Engine,  and  consists  of  a  suc- 
cession of  perfectly  parallel  lines,  all  equally  deep  in 
the  plate,  and  taken  altogether  produce  a  shade  resem- 
bling one  sweep  of  a  painter's  brush,  and  does  not 
look  as  if  made  up  of  separate  lines,  which  will  be 
found  to  be  the  case  when  examined  closely.  The 
imitation  of  this  work  by  counterfeitei's  is  done  with 
a  graver,  and  the  lines  will  be  found  to  be  uneven, 
some  darker  and  some  closer  together  than  others, 
and  this  produces  a  scratchy  appearance.  The  same 
Ruling  Engine  is  often  used  to  produce  skies,  or 
clouding  on  landscapes,  or  the  back-ground  of  portraits 
seen  on  genuine  bills — this  also  being  imitated  by 
the  graver  will  have  a  scratchy  appearance,  as  before 
mentioned. 

WHY  GENUINE  WORK  EXCELS  COUNTERFEITERS'. 

The  large  amount  of  capital  required  to  perfect  a 
Bank  Note  Engraving  Establishment,  the  number  of 
first-class  artists  employed,  and  the  use  of  elaborate 
machinery,  render  it  impossible  for  counterfeiters  to 
equal  the  work  done  by  regular  Bank  Note  Engravers. 

The  preparation  of  a  plate  for  a  genuine  note  is 
the  work  of  at  least  ten  first-class  artists.  In  what- 
ever branch  the  artist  excels,  he  is  employed.  One 
may  excel  as  a  portrait  engraver,  another  in  lettering, 
&c.,  &c.,  whereas  one  counterfeiter  may  be  coinpelled 
to  do  all  the  work  on  his  plate,  and  he  would  be  a 
prodigy  if  he  were  a  proficient  in  all  the  branches. 


This  accounts  for  the  difference  in  the  several  parts 
of  a  counterfeit.  Sometimes  the  lettering  will  be 
well  executed,  while  the  vignette,  or  some  other  parts 
of  the  note,  will  be  very  defective. 

The  counterfeiter  not  having  machinery  for  trans- 
ferring dies,  engraves  directly  on  the  plate  he  prints 
with.  This  gives  his  notes  the  appearance  of  having 
been  printed  with  wood-cuts — rough  and  scratchy. 

There  is  always  a  defect  in  the  eyes  of  portraits  on 
counterfeit  notes,  as  well  as  a  want  of  natural  expres- 
sion in  the  countenance.  For  example,  see  the 
failure  on  counterfeit  Greenback  ones,  tens,  and  fifties, 
respectively,  of  Chase,  Lincoln  and  Hamilton,  and 
their  general  failure  in  the  small  human  figures  in  the 
representations  of  the  historic  paintings  on  counter- 
feits of  the  National  Banks. 

THE  DESIGN   OF  THE  U.  S.  TREASURY— SUCCESS  OF 
COUNTERFEITERS. 

It  was  the  expectation  of  the  Treasury  Department 
that  the  Government  paper  should  excel  all  previous 
issues  of  Bank  Notes  in  beauty  of  execution  and 
suitable  devices.  For  this  purpose  the  best  artists 
in  the  world  were  employed,  and  no  expense  spared 
to  attain  this  object.  It  was  supposed  when  the 
elegant  Greenbacks  were  issued  that  the  counterfeit- 
ers' occupation  was  gone,  but  this  proved  to  be  a 
serious  mistake,  as  counterfeits  of  several  denomina- 
tions soon  made  their  appearance  so  well  executed 
that  they  found  their  way  into  Banks;  and  at  this 
time  "all  sorts  and  sizes"  are  afloat,  from  the  dimin- 
utive three-center  to  the  thousand  dollar  Treasury 
bond,  and  counterfeits  of  various  denominations  on 
some  hundred  National  Banks  are  scattered  broadcast 


8 

over  the  entire  country,  so  well  executed  as  to  deceive 
those  who  are  ignorant  of  the  rules  for  judging  money. 

In  view  of  the  certainty  that  the  country  will  soon 
be  so  flooded  with  counterfeits  that  it  will  be  danger- 
ous for  those  incapable  of  judging  correctly  to  receive 
money,  every  man  of  business,  and  especially  young 
men,  should  give  the  matter  of  counterfeit  detection 
their  careful  attention.  The  faculty  of  judging 
money  can  only  be  acquired  by  a  frequent  examina- 
tion of  perfect  work.  Bankers  and  others  who  daily 
handle  large  sums  of  money  have  a  great  advantage 
over  those  who  do  not.  Those  who  have  not  this 
advantage  must  improve  their  judgment  by  other 
means.  This  can  be  successfully  and  speedily  ac- 
complished. Let  the  student  take  well  printed  notes 
and  examine  them  carefully  with  a  microscope,  look- 
ing at  them  intently  every  day,  and  in  a  short  time 
a  test  will  be  formed  in  his  mind  of  what  perfect 
work  should  be,  and  the  moment  he  sees  that  which 
is  imperfect  it  will  arrest  his  attention.  He  can  then 
examine  the  test-work  and  settle  the  question  as  to 
its  genuineness. 

We  will  again  repeat  this  fact,  that  the  greatest 
security  against  counterfeiters  is  the  machine-work 
on  genuine  notes.  This  the  counterfeiter  attempts 
to  imitate  by  hand.  The  most  remarkable  is  the 
beautiful  work  of  the  Geometric  Lathe.  This  net- 
work of  curvilineal  lines  is  found  encircling  the  de- 
nominational figures  in  various  forms,  as  perfect  as 
nature.  THE  PERFECTION  OF  THIS  WORK  is  THE 

TEST    OF   ALL   GENUINE   BILLS. 


9 

In  accordance  with  the  foregoing  statements  -we 
deduce  the  following 

RULES. 

The  whole  currency  of  the  United  States  and  the 
Canadas  is  printed  from  plates  engraved  by  the 
American,  National,  and  Continental  Bank  Note 
Engraving  Companies.  Their  work  is  of  great  beauty 
and  perfection,  which  may  be  attributed  as  much  to 
the  efficiency  of  costly  and  elaborate  machinery  as  to 
the  superior  skill  of  the  artist. 

The  general  principle  upon  which  the  detection  of 
counterfeits  is  based,  is,  that  certain  parts  of  a  plate 
by  which  genuine  bank  notes  are  printed,  are  engraved 
by  machinery,  while  those  of  a  counterfeit  plate  are 
engraved  by  hand. 

The  machine  used  for  engraving  those  parts  of  a 
plate  with  which  bank  notes  are  printed,  such  as 
ovals,  circles,  &c.,  which  usually  surround  the  de- 
nominational figures,  consisting  of  network,  is  called 
the  Geometric  Lathe.  This  lathe  work  is  the  distin- 
guishing characteristic  of  all  genuine  bills,  and  is 
largely  used  in  all  government  issues,  and  is  the 
chief  test  of  their  genuineness. 

There  is  another  machine  used  in  engraving, 
called  the  Ruling  Engine.  The  characteristics  of 
the  work  of  this  machine  are  the  fine  parallel  lines 
used  in  shading  letters  and  other  portions  of  the 
plate,  and  like  the  lathe,  produce  a  beautiful  uniform- 
ity in  its  work,  which  cannot  be  done  by  hand. 

It  may  be  asked,  why  do  not  counterfeiters  avail 
themselves  of  the  advantages  of  machinery,  such  as 
engraving  companies  use?  Because,  if  it  were  possi- 
ble for  them  to  procure  the  machinery,  they  would 
not  venture  to  invest  from  $100,000  to  $150,000  in 
a  business  which,  if  discovered,  would  result  in  a 


10 

total  loss  of  property,  and  subject  them  to  a  criminal's 
punishment;  and  this  would  be  the  inevitable  result, 
as  the  machinery  is  too  bulky  for  concealment. 
Counterfeiters  are  therefore  compelled  to  work  with 
such  tools  as  they  can  conceal,  and  there  is  no  lathe 
work  on  any  of  their  notes,  it  is  only  an  imitation; 
and  although  there  are  many  other  points  of  difference 
between  counterfeit  and  genuine  bills,  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  this  one  feature  will  furnish  an  infalli- 
ble test. 

As  has  already  been  stated,  the  network,  or  those 
fine  curvilineal  lines  found  around  the  denominational 
figures,  and  other  parts  of  a  genuine  note,  are  pro- 
duced by  the  Geometric  Lathe.  An  examination  of 
this  work  by  a  microscope  will  settle  the  question 
as  to  its  genuineness — and  as  this  kind  of  work  is 
largely  used  on  all  government  paper,  it  should  be 
made  a  particular  study,  both  by  examining  notes  with 
the  naked  eye,  and  the  microscope,  and  the  student 
will  thus  soon  become  familiar  with  genuine  work. 

By  a  careful  examination  with  the  glass  these  fine 
curvilineal  lines  will  be  found  to  cross  each  other  at 
regular  angles  around  the  figure,  never  breaking  or 
running  one  into  another,  or  showing  any  irregularity 
whatever;  while  the  imitations  of  the  counterfeiter 
may,  to  the  naked  eye,  have  a  strong  resemblance, 
yet  the  glass  will  reveal  the  most  surprising  defects. 

Various  rules  have  been  given  to  prevent  persons 
from  receiving  counterfeit  money.  The  most  import- 
ant is  to  look  at  all  notes  with  a  scrutinizing  eye. 
Let  this  become  a  fixed  habit.  Many  good  judges  of 
money  have  taken  counterfeits  through  inattention. 

A  frequent  examination  of  genuine  notes  with  the 
microscope  will  soon  so  impress  their  image  upon  the 
mind  that  the  first  glimpse  of  a  counterfeit  will  be 
startling.  It  will  be  "detected  at  sight!" 


11 


CERTIFICATES  PROM  BANKERS  &  BUSINESS  MEN. 

NATIONAL  BANK  OF  FAYETTE  Co.,   1 
Uniontown,  Pa.,  Oct.  1st,  1867.  / 

I  am  acquainted  with  the  mode  of  detecting  counterfeit 
money,  copy-righted  by  J.  F.  Beazell,  and  have  no  doubt  of  its 
great  value  when  thoroughly  understood.  In  fact,  it  is  the 
only  correct  method.  Signed, 

JNO.  K.  EWING,  President. 

We  fully  concur  in  the  above  recommendation. 

N.  HOLMES  &  SONS,  Bankers. 
PITTSBURGH,  Sept.  20th,  1867. 

MECHANICS  SAVINGS  BANK,         1 
Pittsburgh,  Sept.  20,  1867.  / 

I  am  acquainted  with  Mr.  Beazell 's  mode  of  detecting  coun- 
terfeit money,  and  until  I  learned  that  system  had  little  confi- 
dence in  my  judgment.  I  take  pleasure  in  recommending  it  to 
the  business  men  of  this  city.  His  rules  are  infallible. 

GEO.  D.  TINDLE,  Treasurer. 

RARE  CHANCE  FOR  MEN  OF  SMALL  CAPITAL.-Col. 

J.  W.  Beazell  oilers  for  sale,  State,  County  and  City  rights  of  a 
very  valuable  patent,  which  in  its  use  is  adapted  to  every  man 
of  business.  Having  examined  it,  we  can  say  there  is  no  surer 
or  more  delightful  way  to  realize  a  competency  than  to  possess 
the  right  for  a  good  county  or  large  city.  Eights  for  States 
have  been  sold  at  a  large  figure,  although  Col.  Beazell  is  selling 
County  and  City  rights  on  reasonable  terms. — Pitts.  Commer- 
cial. 

RECOMMENDATION   PROM  LEADING  MERCHANTS 
OF  PITTSBURGH, 

PITTSBURGH,  Oct.  20,  1867. 

The  system  for  detecting  counterfeit  money  at  sight,  by  Mr. 
J.  F.  Beazell,  is  invaluable  to  all  persons  handling  money,  and 
is  so  plain  and  complete  that  it  can  be  thoroughly  understood 
in  five  minutes'  time.  It  is  certainly  the  only  true  method, 


and  we  speak  knowingly  when  we  say  it  is  worth  one  hundred 
times  what  it  costs  to  learn  it.  No  Banker  or  Business  man 
should  be  without  it. 

Very  respectfully. 

John  Stevenson  &  Son  (jewelers),  93  Market  Street;  Smith- 
son,  Palmer  &  Co.  (Auctioneers),  59  Fifth  Street;  John  I. 
House  &  Co.  (Grocers),  Water  Street;  Keymer  Bros.  (Con- 
fectioners), Wood  Street;  R.  Robinson  &  Co.  (Merchants),  255 
Liberty  Street;  Wm.  Carr  &  Co.  (Merchants),  Wood  Street; 
Gray,  Posseil  &  Reese  (Merchants),  Fifth  Street;  Alex.  MG- 
Callum  (Merchant),  Fifth  Street;  Wm.  Sumner  &  Co.  (Sew- 
ing Machines),  Fifth  Street;  Macrum  &  Carlisle  (Merchants), 
Fifth  Street;  Richard  B.  Breed  (Merchant),  Wood  Street; 
Schoyer  &  Co.,  Post  Building  ;  Joseph  Home  &  Co.  (Mer- 
chants), 77  Market  Street ;  J.  H.  Richards  (Merchant),  30  Fifth 
Street;  J.  Porterfield  &  Co.  (Merchants),  15  Market  Street; 
J.  M.  Burchfield  &  Co.  (Merchants),  Market  Street;  C.  H. 
Love  &  Bro.  (Merchants),  Market  Street;  Dunseath  &  Ha^lett 
(Jewelers),  Fifth  Street;  Bates  &  Bell  (Merchants),  Fifth 
Street ;  Graff  Hugus  &  Co.  (Stove  Dealers),  Liberty  Street ; 
Geo.  Malin  (Merchant),  69  and  70  Water  Street;  James 
Robb,  Jr.,  89  Market  Street ;  A.  L.  Hawkins  (Merchant),  79 
Wylie  Street ;  E.  Reineman,  67  Smithfleld  Street ;  J.  J.  Snod- 
grass,  24  St.  Clair  Street;  Rutledge,  Perry  &  Co.,  345  Liberty 
Street;  Henry  Miner  (Newsdealer),  71  and  73  Fifth  Street; 
W.  W.  Knox,  137  Liberty  Street;  A.  P.  Chatoney  (Sewing 
Machines),  Fifth  Street;  J.  C.  Thompson,  17  Market  Street. 

ALLEGHENY  CITY,  PA.,  \ 
Sept.  Uth,  1867.     J 

I  take  pleasure  in  recommending  to  the  business  men  of 
this  city,  Mr.  Beazell's  mode  for  detecting  counterfeit  money. 
His  tests  are  infallible,  and  /  would  not  be  without  the  informa- 
tion I  received  from  him  in  five  minutes  for  $1,000. 
Respectfully,  &c., 

LEVI  HAY. 

PITTSBURGH,         1 
September  1 6th,  1867.  J 

Mr.  Beazell's  method  of  detecting  counterfeit  money  is  the 
best  I  have  ever  seen,  and  no  one  (receiving  instructions  in  it,) 
can  be  "humbugged"  with  counterfeit  money. 

J.  McC.  CREIGHTON, 
Gen'l.  Sup't.  Pa.  R.  R. 


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SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

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